‘Gherao teachers’ act spreads to more schools in Kolkata

A day after the state government was seen supporting the failed students of a school in Kolkata’s Santoshpur, the agitation virus spread rapidly. On Wednesday, students of at least four schools — in Sinthee, Burdwan and Murshidabad — gheraoed their teachers to push through their demands.

On Monday, students of the Rishi Aurobinda Balika Vidyapith at Santoshpur who had failed their pre-board exams and had been barred from writing the board exams, had blockaded the teachers in the staff room. The teachers had been let off only after 25 hours, following an assurance of re-examination by the West Bengal council of higher secondary education (WBCHSE).

Sensing they might have opened a Pandora’s box, the council officials called a press conference to revise their stand and denounce Tuesday’s gherao.

“The WBCHSE would never ask any school to pass flunking students or conduct a re-examination. We request the school to take action as it deems fit with regard to the students,” said Muktinath Chattopadhyay, WBCHSE president.

Chattopadhyay made it clear that the council had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the school and emphasised their strong disapproval of the agitation. “They did not behave like students,” he said.

The damage, however, was already done. In the morning, protests and gheraos were conducted at theShekhalipur High School in Lalgola (Murshidabad), Kasturba Kanya Vidyapith in Sinthee (Kolkata), Krishnadebpur Balika Vidyalaya in Burdwan and Bijoy Kumar High School in Murshidabad. All the protesting students have failed to pass the examination held to screen the candidates for the 2013 secondary and high secondary board examinations.